Reordinate the Fate

Fourth Destination: Berries and Chicken

Risa comes out of the tent a little bit earlier than yesterday. Today she wakes up only after Max, who, as usual, is always the earliest to wake up. The man seems to be sitting in front of the fire with his hands outstretched. Risa sees that the clothes already folded neatly and put on the one of log that is the closest from the hanging clothes place beside the fire.

“You folded it? Thank you." Risa takes her own clothes and sits beside Max. “It's so crazy cold." Max nodded, "You're right."

Risa following Max's pose, stretch out the hand to the bonfire. The two of them is suddenly caught in an awkward atmosphere. Max is the most doesn't-close-person to Risa among other men in this vacation, although they are still close. They only met several times to discuss this ‘escape’. Risa was always accompanied by Will when there's an appointment with Max. The point is, they are never ever left just both of them.

Risa chuckled, making Max turns to her, "Why laugh?"

Risa shook her head, "Looks like I have to be careful not to do the natural childish character that popped out sometimes from myself." The girl was silent for a moment, "You seem prefer to talk to someone with an adult side, and now it's only the two of us here."

Max lift up his shoulders and shook his head, "It doesn't matter what kind of characters you showed me."

Risa hugged her knees, “Hm? But you look more mature. Oh, maybe I'm the immature one.” Max doesn't reply and silence returned. Finally Risa opens the conversation, "You don't like to share your personal things, do you?"

"No."

"How about sharing opinions. Try to describe and tell me your first impression when you know me.” Max sighed, this girl doesn't like a silent and peace situation, apparently.

"There's just nothing."

"There is nothing?" Risa repeated. "Ow, c’mon, I try to build up a conversation. Just spit out whatever you think. There must be something you think about me. Anything. Appearance, physique, character?”

Max lay down on top of the damp leaves, watching the top of the trees. The man seemed to be thinking, "You are pretty."

Risa demanded more, "Then?"

"You are different now. I mean, you looked really mature when we first met. You didn't seem like a good person either.”  Max snorted with laughter, "You looked really grumpy, too stiff, and easily annoyed."

Risa thought, "I guess I was like that, at least until a week ago."  The girl looks nodded, "But thank you for calling me pretty. Is that the only compliment you can give to me?”

Max laughed, "So you are a compliment lover, huh."

"Of course I am. Everybody in this world loves to be complimented?" Risa lays beside Max, “I really like it here. I want to be here forever.”

“Ah, one more thing. You are also easy to escape from reality.” added Max. “The first time, Will said he would introduce his friend to me. Will said you are someone who likes nature and wants adventure. I thought you were just an ordinary person who wanted to change stories about several trips with me, but it turns out that you're from the entertainment industry and have never gone on any adventures before.”

“I was surprised when you immediately said that you wanted to make this trip to ‘escape’ in our first met. It's the same with saying you're tired of everything in your industry." Max looks at the leaves stuck in the tall tree in front of him, “You can't say that easily. But because at that time you were too young, so I ignored it. I thought you would change your mind, but it was gettig bigger. So I just planned everything as you asked. Though it sounds like running away from the number eight.”

"You mean?"

"Yes, the number of eight. You know, they're said eight as the infinity number, right?" Risa nodded. “Eight is a symbol of our life. Humans are always going side by side with the destiny that has been created. Even though some people go through it easily and some are more difficult, it's just a matter of the top or bottom circles was made bigger.”

"But everyone experiences it, collisions in some aspects of life, like the intersection line we draw in the middle of the figure eight. Everyone else had falls and rises too, like the paths up and down that were sure to go when making the number 8.”

Max sighed and sat back down, "So I think it's useless you are running away from what you should be living right now. Like the number 8, no matter how big a curve you make to get out of the infinity, there will be another bigger curve that will bring you back on track.”

Max patted Risa on the knee, “But we are still very young. It's fine to rebel out a little, right? It will make the shape of eight more interesting.” Risa looked at Max after thinking for a while, "I think you're right."

Risa sits back down following Max when the man asked, "Right about which one?"

Risa smiled, "All about the eight."

★★★

Risa doesn't know where they are right now. About an hour ago, when everyone was awake, Max invited them to hunt and find another fooda. It was about noon, and they continued walking in this cool forest until now.

"Actually, why did we have to walk this far?"  Stevan sounded out, "I'm quite satisfied with the shrimps and freshwater snails we ate on the first day."

Will chuckled behind Risa, at the same time, the girl hits Stevan at his back with irritated expression, “You really don't have any desire, do you? We are her to have fun and relieve stress, so we're doing something things like this. Beside that, there's nothing we can do, but transfomed to a lazy bum like you, if we're just in the tent, Freak!”

"I could have just stayed with Cliff if we're going this far, or swap tasks with him and guarded the camp site.”  Risa chuckled, "Max, please don't even let Stevan stay to guard the tent ever. I think snakes will come freely to our tent or worse, our camp will be on on fire because this freak falls asleep when the fire breaks out."

"You wish me an early death, Freak?" Stevan can't accept Risa's bullied.

“I didn't say that. You're the one who feel like—"

"Shut up."

Risa and Stevan immediately pursed their lips when Max said this. The man also stops moving when he asked them to be quiet. Will looks at Risa and shrugging as Risa's eyes turn to him full of questioning.

Unexpectedly, then Max runs quickly, through the twigs and leaves at his feet and left the other three. Stevan said, “I think I heard something like rooster. Maybe Max went to get it.” He pointed at the man whom running away.

Risa hits Stevan on the shoulder, “Then we have to help him, i***t! Why don't you tell us about that earlier?!” The girl runs, followed by Will who is also walking fast. Meanwhile Stevan walks behind them grumbling, "Luckily I told you about that, otherwise you—"

"STEVAN, YOUR LEFT!"

Stevan turns his head spontaneously and sees a black partridge running towards him. Stevan is about to run away from the chicken when Max shouted again, "CATCH IT, NOT RUN!"

As if he had an obedient soul in him, Stevan immediately run and throw himself down on top of the partridge. There is a loud crowing, but louder than that, Stevan shouted, “I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID! I REALLY DO NOT KNOW! THIS ANIMAL IS TERRIFYING! HURRY UP HERE!”

Risa and Will look back where Stevan is and laugh loudly until they sat down. Meanwhile Max walked toward Stevan and took the partridge legs, "You can move now." Stevan quickly turned and lay limp on the ground beside where he was.

"I don't think you can wear your clothes anymore." Will pointed to Stevan's shirt, which was stained white and torn in the belly.  "What is this liquid?!" exclaimed Stevan.

"That's the dirt. You crushed over it remember?” Max lifted the fat partridge sized his forearm. "Stand up, insects may bite if you keep lying down." Stevan stands with his half-power, half staggering, still surprised at what he had done himself.

"You're so stupid, Freak!" Risa was still laughing as she patted Stevan on the shoulder.

"Let’s go back." Max points to Stevan, "Since you're so helpful, I'll cook this chicken for dinner today."

Stevan chuckled afterward. "Why are you laughing, Freak? Your brain shifted because your head hit the ground?”

Stevan shook his head. "Am I look cool and helpful just now?”

Risa grabs Stevan's neck afterward.

"Hey, do you see that?” Will changes the subject suddenly. "It is berries, isn't it?"

Everyone looks at the direction Will was pointing. There are bushes that are not too thick if it compares with another bush that also can be find in the forest that is not all grown with trees, sunlight can enter without needing to penetrate the leaves, so it's possible to berries to grow here. The four of them simultaneously approached the bush.

Max watched for a moment before picking up a purple berry.  He crushed the berries with his hand and smells the purple juice gushing out of them. Afterward, Max tastes the juice on his fingertips, then takes another fruit and eats it, "This is edible."

"We can eat it this kind of purple berries?" Max nodded. Risa patted Stevan on the shoulder, “You like berries, don't you? Let me pick it as a reward for your efforts today.” The girl takes quite a lot of berries and put them in the net bag she was carrying.

"We can go back to the camp site now." Risa lifted the net bag which was a quarter full of berries and walks back to the river which opposite flow will bring them back to the camp.

★★★

Cliff laughs loudly at Risa's story about Stevan and the chicken.  "You're so stupid." He exclaimed amid laughter. "Shut up, little boy!" Stevan rose to his feet, "I'm going to change." It's not what he always do, but because of his annoyance, Stevan immediately takes off the black shirt he was wearing right in front of the tent.  "You have to rinse yourself first. Clean the body from… You know what it was.”

Risa exclaimed without looking at her best friend. She knew Stevan is moving toward the river when she can hear steps behind him moving away toward the river. "You got these berries too?" Risa pointed at Will to replies Cliff, “He saw it. Stevan liked it so I took more.”

Cliff muttered, "I like it too."

Risa looked at Cliff, “You also like berries? You two can share it then. Next time I'll get more.” Risa smiled, "You have to tell me all the food you like so I can take more if I find it."

Cliff was stunned before said, "Alright."

"You can wash and eat it." Risa handed him a net bag of berries and Cliff obeyed. When Cliff left, Max also gets up. The man had been watching the partridge since a while ago, he shows it to Risa, “This chicken is healthy. We can eat it.”

"I'll ask Stevan if he co— Looks like you got scratched by this chicken."

Risa turned around as Max spoke to someone behind her.  Stevan was back with his upper body wet."Yes, I just noticed it.” Risa looks at the stomach with perfect abs, "You have to treat it properly." Risa pointed to several lines of scratch wounds that probably made by the partridge feet. Risa remembered that Stevan's shirt had also been torn.

"Where did you keep the medicine box?" asked Stevan.

"In the tent, next to my bag." Max picked up the partridge, “I'm going to pluck the feathers and clean the chicken then. Help me, Will. You better clean the wound properly. Looks quite wide and these animal’s claws are dirty.”

Will and Max go to the river to clean the chicken, while Risa is left alone, staring at the wound, "Let me help you." Risa gets up following Stevan into the tent. "Dry your body first." Tell the girl when they are in the tent.

Risa doesn't linger, immediately looks for the first aid bag, and find it in place Max said before. “Hey, I can treat it myself. You'd better go out.” Stevan wears his other shirt. Risa shook her head, "You may not clean properly."

Risa is ready with the first medicine she puts on cotton, an antiseptic wound cleanser. "Raise your shirt."

"I really can treat it my—"

"Just do it!" Stevan lifted his shirt spontaneously. Risa sits cross-legged in front of Stevan who was also sitting in the tent. “You used to treat me too back then. Do you remember it?” Stevan nodded in response, "When your hand scratched the sharp wood on the window frame." Stevan chuckled afterward, “But it's the stomach, Risa. You shouldn't touch my stomach like this.”

Risa immediately hits Stevan on the waist, before taking another cotton ball to give him betadine. "Why did you hit me?”

“It’s like we don't know each other for ten years.” Risa replied, “It’s just your stomach.”

“I'm embarrassed, you know?” Stevan said that eventually.

Risa laughed, “How can you embarrassed by this well-formed stomach, huh?" Risa presses the red-color medicine over Stevan's six pack. Meanwhile the boy looks away in shy. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"A little. I can hold it.” replied Stevan.

Suddenly Risa's warm hands grabbed Stevan's stomach, "HEY, What are you doing—"

"I will put the plaster on, Freak. I just make sure you're not moving." Risa puts on gauze and holds it with her hands. That's another thing made the girl touch Stevan, "Why are you scared as if I went to r**e you, huh?"

Stevan hissed, "It's not like that. It's just— Hah, whatever! Why do I have to meet that damn chicken?”

Risa laughs while tidying up the first aid kit. "Done." Risa was about to stand up after returning the medical equipment bag beside Max's bag. But the girl seemed to have a thought of something, and crouched back down in front of Stevan, who is lowering his shirt.

Confidently, Risa takes Stevan's chin and lifts it up, “Hey Freak, I guess you're really worry I'll r**e you. I can hear your heart beating fast earlier.” Risa looked at Stevan with her beautiful eyes, "Or maybe you started to like me more than friend, hm?"

★★★